Despite the burdensome bill to ratepayers, both councils claim they are on top of the problem and have worked to prevent graffiti by providing opportunities for legitimate street art.

Launceston City Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski said the council had worked with youth groups and other organisations to set up certain laneways in the city for street art.

He said an area had been made available at the city's skate park near Royal Park where people could spray paint their own art.

``There are taggers who tend to vandalise and it can be very difficult to change their behaviour,'' Mr Dobrzynski said.

``There is also an entire subculture of legitimate artists who want to use street art as a means of expression and social commentary.

``We know that if you have spaces for murals and public art, and they are respected, other graffiti artists do not touch them.''

He said much of the graffiti around the city was on private property or state-owned infrastructure.

``In areas of council responsibility, we remove graffiti as soon as we are notified of it,'' Mr Dobrzynski said.

``There's a lot of research around which suggests quick removal is an excellent way of discouraging graffiti.

``We estimate the cost to be about $20,000 each year to remove graffiti from public spaces like parks and council-owned facilities and assets around Launceston.''

Devonport City Council community assistant general manager Evonne Ewins said a graffiti management policy and plan adopted in 2007 had proven successful.

``However, current annual expenditure towards graffiti clean-up is estimated at about $40,000,'' Ms Ewins said.

Like Launceston, young people were given the opportunity to be involved in mural painting.

Burnie City Council is writing its own graffiti management policy which will focus on the merits of legal graffiti.